Bilge pumps are employed to remove water and other liquids from boats and are typically mounted in the boat's engine compartment or bilge area. Installation of bilge pumps is often relatively difficult due to the tight quarters of the engine compartment or bilge area. Mounting the bilge pump to the hull, connecting the electrical wiring, and connecting the pump outlet to the drain conduit are all complicated by the confined working space. Replacing an inoperable bilge pump may even be more difficult. Replacement bilge pumps usually have a mounting footprint and overall configuration that is different from the original pump. The boat's wiring and drain conduit, which were designed to accommodate the original bilge pump, may not correspond with the locations of the respective connector and outlet port on the replacement pump.
Another problem of existing bilge pumps is related to the manner in which such pumps turn on and off. Specifically, many bilge pumps have a sensor or switch which responds to the level of water in the surrounding environment by turning the bilge pump on and off. Unfortunately, such sensors or switches can react to movement of the boat (and water in the hull) by turning the pump on when the amount of water in the hull is low and/or by turning the pump off when the amount of water in the hull is high.
In light of the problems and limitations of the prior art described above, a need exists for a bilge pump having a versatile and adaptable configuration. Each preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves one or more of these results.